Introduction to Curriculum Packet on “Terrorism: A War Without
Borders”

Introduction

Terrorism: A War Without Borders was produced by the United States Department of
State in collaboration with a special committee of social studies educators. The
video, print materials, and other resources in this package are intended for use
with middle school and high school courses.

The purpose of this instructional package is to help students to understand the
connection between world events and their own lives and those of others in their
community. It builds upon the resources of the U.S. Department of State, and can
be augmented by a vast range of other instructional materials and information
sources available through newspapers, television, and the Internet, and teachers
are encouraged to pursue these additional sources.

The video and instructional materials in this package were designed to provide
classroom teachers with a high degree of flexibility in using some or all of the
elements. The package can be used as a unit of instruction or individual
elements may be incorporated into existing units or lessons. The video lends
itself to use as a stimulus for classroom discussion, as well as an introduction
to a series of lessons on the topic.

In producing instructional materials of this nature, the developers recognize
that the audience represents a vast range of interests and abilities, not to
mention local and state curriculum standards and requirements. The suggested
lessons reflect Expectations of Excellence: Curriculum Standards for Social
Studies developed by the National Council for the Social Studies. Teachers are
encouraged to modify the suggested lessons and other materials in ways that are
appropriate for their students, courses, and other local circumstances.

All of the materials produced by the Department of State included in this package
may be reproduced and disseminated without specific permission. However, some of
the websites in the list of resources may have copyright restrictions, and
teachers are advised to review and abide by those restrictions.

Print materials are provided in black on white format so that they may be easily
reproduced by means of electronic copying. They may also be scanned into
computer files so that teachers may customize materials for their own
classrooms.

This is the first program in a continuing series that will be produced by the
Department of State. We hope that you find it useful for your classroom and will
look forward to other programs. A response form is included with this package
and your comments and suggestions will be helpful in the development of future
instructional packages.